Philadelphia Blacks Plan to Present ‘reparations’ Demands to Jewish Community

Plans for a campaign by the Black Economic Development Conference to present demands for reparations to the Philadelphia Jewish community, keyed to the theme that “the concept of reparations as repentance is part of a moral heritage, part of the Judaeo-Christian tradition,” have been announced here by an official of the black group.

Muhammed Kenyatta, 26, vice-president and Pennsylvania director of the black group, said the demands will be presented this month and next, according to the Jewish Exponent, local Jewish weekly. He told a heavily-attended meeting of the Central YMCA luncheon forum that his organization would address the congregation of the Main Line Reform Temple by invitation but added that synagogues in Philadelphia appeared to be basically hostile to the reparations demands. He also told the luncheon that “the debt to the black people is like to Nazi debt to the State of Israel.” He also said that the demands for reparations were being aimed at religious institutions because “the white churches and synagogues are white multi-billion dollar capitalist-racist industries.”